As I am writing this blog I laze on my back on the green grass, starring up at a light blue sky with some white grey clouds dispersed. The sunrays are filtering between the densely packed leaves of a beautiful Marronier tree. I can’t help but to feel such a huge sense of gratification or appreciation if you like. The chirping birds are competition to my ruminating and contemplating mind and thoughts. It is a sheer delight just to be able to hear, see and to be able to walk here, to be amongst the beauty of the nature. I think of those millions of people all around the globe who are constantly living in the dark, and those who were born blind, who have never even glimpsed at a tree, the face of their beloved, a sunset, a flower, a painting, a comedy or a beautiful landscape …………….anything. It is unimaginable to me what it must be like to never see anything to live in total darkness. I think of all the millions who are paralysed who live with no freedom to come and go as they want, either always or often dependant on others and those who are deaf, who never hears a melody, hear the words of a beloved and who are limited with whom they can converse. It makes me realize how much freedom I have and most of us have. How fortunate the majority of us are. I don’t mean to negate the pain, suffering, sorrow and problems people have, being human it is inevitable to be subjected to the above ( but that’s another subject ) but I believe if we want to increase the quality of our daily life we can stop sometimes and just feel a sense of gratification or appreciation for being able to eat 3 meals a day, have a hot shower and a warm bed to sleep in and a hundred more things. It is our choice we can either complain and be negative all the time or we can feel thankful for the hundreds of small blessings.Antoinette Steenkamp